Jacob Belway, Master of Wine and Viticulture
Jacob wants to have his own vineyard on the West Coast of the United States one day
It would be a return home for the San Francisco native, who is studying for a Master of Wine and Viticulture.
He decided to attend Lincoln after meeting an alumnus while working at a winery.
“When I graduated from the University of California, Davis, I worked as a harvest intern, with the intention of applying for a Master’s degree in viticulture and oenology.
“My boss and mentor at the time was a Lincoln University graduate, and recommended that I apply at Lincoln. The hands-on approach and size of the campus appealed to me, after having studied at a larger university.”
Jacob says that as an undergraduate, he wasn’t yet sure about what he wanted to do for a living.
“It was by chance that I took a random winemaking class and it immediately clicked with me.
“Since then, a few diplomas and several harvests later, I’m pursuing winemaking as a craft and science at Lincoln, with the hopes of becoming a winemaker for my own label.”
He says the graduate diploma he completed last year involved a lot of hands-on vineyard and winery work, which helped him understand and apply what he had learned in lectures.
“The Taught Master’s programme involves a lot of research within the library database. I very much enjoy this type of studying, as not only do I get to choose to study topics that interest me personally, I am learning at the pace I choose.”
He has also been able to work closely with faculty, “which has helped me greatly”.
In his spare time, he’s started a student-run podcast on campus, and has enjoyed making lots of new friends.
“It goes without saying that everything I learn here will definitely be applied to my field of practice.”